PITTSBURGH — Ryan Zimmerman, on the disabled list more than two weeks with a strained abdominal muscle, will resume some baseball activities Tuesday before the start of the Nationals’ seven-game homestand. The third baseman’s return to the lineup, though, won’t happen until he goes on at least a brief minor-league rehab assignment.

Zimmerman went on the 15-day DL April 9, one day after he aggravated a previous strain while sliding headfirst into second base at Citi Field. He was eligible to be activated Sunday, but he so far has undergone only physical therapy and has not participated in any baseball activities.

The Nationals, who are wrapping up a six-game road trip Monday night against the Pirates, plan to evaluate Zimmerman prior to Tuesday’s game at Nationals Park. He’ll doing some throwing, though it’s uncertain whether he’ll take batting practice yet.

Either way, the prolonged layoff means Zimmerman will need to get a few at-bats on a minor-league rehab assignment before he’s activated. That means he’s unlikely to return to the Nationals’ lineup until late this week at the earliest.

He missed 56 games in 2008, 20 last year and will end up missing 15-20 games this time around (he's already missed 12).This could be an anomoly, or he could turn into Scott Rolen. I assume the former and the latter scares me to death. FaridHere's hoping he remains active for the rest of the year.

Anon 6:08 – I don't know for sure, but his injuries the past few years seem to be "relatively" minor. Certainly nothing like chronic shoulder pain or anything like that.Can't wait to have him back on the field. Go Nats!

Syracuse is home through next Tuesday. Harrisburg is home through a Thursday morning game, then they hit the road, coming to Bowie for 4 starting next Monday before returning home. Potomac is away until next Monday when they come home for 3. Hagerstown is away until a week from Thursday.So if it's going to be this week, it will probably be Syracuse.

Syracuse makes the most sense. They've been starting new acquisition Tug Hulett at third base. Syracuse could use an offensive and defensive boost. Having Zimmerman, Bernadina, Flores, Marerro, and Brown gives it the flavor of an almost major league team especially with the great starting pitching they've been getting (excluding Garrett Mock).

Syracuse makes the least sense. It's the furthest away from Washington. Rehab assignments are not based at all on the needs of the minor league teams, they're for getting the major league player some game action before he comes off the DL. It doesn't matter if he's playing against AAA, AA, single A or even college players. A game is a game.So Zimmerman will rehab either at Potomac or Harrisburg, whichever happens to be playing at home when he's rehabbing, purely because they are both within a couple hours drive of DC.

So, when is Henry Rodriguez coming up? Hopefully he'll add some new dynamic (whatever that means) to the team :)Still think Nats need a new long reliever. I'm sure Balester will be up and down all season.

Anyone wanting to see Rodriguez hasn't seen him pitch yet. I saw every one of his spring appearances, he walks more people than Jesus Colome. Sometimes batters swing to protect themselves from getting hit in the head.